The Bible says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Did you know that an egg is also wonderfully made?
We all know an egg as a shell, a yolk, and the white, but there is so much more in that shell than meets the eye!
In this article I will tell you about the nutrients, why the white is cloudy at times, or runny, what the blood spot is, and all about that tiny, almost unnoticeable white dot on the yolk.
Albumin (or simply put, Egg White)
The egg white of a freshly laid egg will be cloudy. This is because it contains carbon dioxide that slowly seeps out as the egg ages, turning the white clear. The fresher the egg the thicker and cloudier the white.
The albumin actually consists of four parts: the inner thick albumin, and the inner thin albumin, the outer thick albumin, and the outer thin albumin. These layers are designed to protect and cushion a chick embryo as it develops.
These layers get more watery as the egg ages and the proteins change, so an older egg will spread out more than a fresh egg.
Egg white does contain protein, as well as niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, but not nearly as much nutrition as the yolk.
Blood Spot
Occasionally you’ll find an egg with a tiny red speck ( and sometimes not so tiny!) on the yolk called a blood spot. This is not an indication of a fertile egg, it’s merely a blood vessel on the surface of the yolk that broke during the formation of the egg.
Although it’s perfectly edible, most people prefer to remove the spot before preparing the egg to eat.
Bloom (or Cuticle)
The bloom is a nearly invisible natural coating applied to the eggshell that helps to seal the pores in the shell and keep out air and bacteria. Washing an egg removes the bloom, allowing the egg to age more quickly and lose its freshness, as well as increase the chance of bacteria entering into the egg.
Chalazae
When you crack a very fresh egg, you might see thin, white ropes trailing from the yolk. These are twisted strands of protein that anchor the yolk in place in the center of the egg white. They are normally only visible in very fresh eggs. Like blood spots, they are perfectly edible, but you can remove them before cooking your egg.
Germinal Disc
This was a new one for me!
A small, almost unnoticeable white dot on the yolk of an egg is called the germinal disc. It’s the entrance to a tiny path that leads to the center of the yolk. It’s this path that the sperm in a fertilized egg will travel to create the embryo to form a baby chick.
Related to the germinal disc is the bull’s eye. Once the egg is fertilized, several rings form around the dot, which is the one visible indication of a fertilized egg.
Membrane
There are actually two membranes inside an egg that separate the shell from the egg white- an inner membrane and an outer membrane. Once the egg is laid and begins to cool to room temperature, the membranes begin to separate and air starts to seep in between them, as well as create an air sac at the blunt end of the egg.
Fresh eggs don’t hard boil well because until a couple of weeks go by, there’s not enough air in between the membranes to allow them to easily separate and for you to peel the shell off.
Pigment (or egg color)
All egg shells start out white. Then, depending on the breed of chicken, the pigment is applied to the outside of the shell. That pigment is either brown or blue. The blue pigment is applied early in the laying process and that color seeps to the inside of the shell. The brown pigment is applied much later, so the inside of brown eggshells is still white. (Hmm- Another new one)
Some breeds have both brown and blue pigment, and their eggs turn out green, with blue insides!
Shell
The eggshell covers the contents of the egg and is the first line of defense against air and bacteria. There are between 7,000-17,000 tiny pores in an eggshell. These pores regulate the movement of air and bacteria into the egg- and carbon dioxide and moisture out of the egg.
Vitelline membrane
The vitelline membrane is a thin covering that helps to keep the yolk contained. It’s strongest when the egg is fresh, so fresh eggs stand up nice and tall and don’t spread out when the egg is cracked.
As the egg ages, this membrane thins and becomes weaker, making the yolk more likely to break when you crack it into your skillet.
This info reminds me of back when we first started having our own eggs and James would brag about these eggs being superior to store-bought and I was like, “Really?” So he told me to go buy some, I did. And when I cracked them into my skillet they spread out all over and I was like, YUCK!
The Yolk
And here is where you will find the nutrition! All of the good fat and cholesterol, and the majority of the vitamins and minerals. Your vitamin A, B, D, E, and K, (but no C) as well as calcium, folic acid, iron, manganese, phosphorus, protein, selenium, thiamine, and zinc.
A note on the vitamins A &D in the egg. They will not be in the egg unless the chickens are in the sunlight eating green grass. The deeper and darker the orange-colored yolk, the higher the fat-soluble vitamins you will have.
And so if you want to know if an egg is good for your health, check for deep orange color and if it keeps its shape when you crack it open.
Blessings-Louise
